Steam separator and trap



(NoM0ae1.)

F. T. HOWELL.

v STEAM SEPARATOB. AND TRAP. No. 555,701. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

tzesSf A, 6N Inl/entorn- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX TARRANT HOWELL, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

STEAM SEPARATOR AND TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,701, dated March 3,1896.

Application filed August 19, 1895. Serial No. 559,736. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX TARRANT I-Iow- ELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson andState of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSteam Separators and Traps, of which the following is a specicatien.

My invention relates to an apparatus that automatically separates waterfrom steam, and by allowing only dry steam to go to the cylinders orsteam-receivers secures the maximum of economy, efciency, and safety.

Boilers overworked constantly or forced through sudden demands oremergencies are apt to foam or send off watery and non-elastic vapors,andlonglines of pipe, uncovered pipe, and improperly-drained pipe arepartially lled or pocketed with water of condensation.

' Steam-traps or water-drip pipes interposed in the line of thesteam-pipe near the cylinders or steam-receivers have been employedheretofore comprising oats and controllingvalves for opening the saidtrap and allowing the water to escape at proper intervals. While quitesimple and quickly responsive in action to requirements the float hasunder certain conditions proved inadaptable for use under very highpressures, as the tendency is to hold the iioat and its valve more rmlydown to its seat under very high pressures than under less pressures.

To better adapt a float-controlled valve for steam-traps to the variousconditions above suggested, and forA other reasons which will suggestthemselves or will be hereinafter suggested, I have made certain novelarrangements and combinations of devices hereinafter described andclaimed, and besides have adapted my-improved device to operate morequickly to better prevent the steam from escaping with the water ofcondensation when the water-drip valve is employed. I also provide meansfor indicating the amount of water accumulated in the trap and also tobetter facilitate the construction and operation of said trap, as willhereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved separator with'pipe connection for attachment to the boiler andengine; Fig. 2, a vertical central section thereof with the oat-valveclosed, and

Fig. 3 a similar view of the lower part of the trap with the said valveopen.

A is a spheroidal casing made in two sections, consisting of abase-section A and a capsection A2 united 'by iianges a and bolts a. Thebase-section A has a neck A3 to provide a valve-seat A4 and abase-flange A5 extending therefrom, which serves as a support for thecasing and may be secured to any suitable support by bolts passingthrough the said base-flange.

A steam-pipe B leading from the boiler enters the lower part of thecap-section A2 by double-reversed elbows B B2, connected by a nipple B2,and empties the contents of the pipe downwardly into/the base-sectionA/, the heavy watery vapors and products of condensation being depositedin the bottom of the said base-section, and the dry steam passingupwardly to the top of the cap-section A2 and entering the end of theupturned pipe-joint C is conducted to the cylinder of a steam-engine, tothe receiver of an air-brake, or for other purpose where dry steam isrequired.

A condensed-Water-discharge pipe D is tted to the neck A3 of thebase-section A'- below the valve-seat A4, and a valve E adapted to iitthe seat Ais secured to a stem E', guided in a cross-bar c. in the neckA3 and secured to the bottom of a hollow spherical float F-. A stem E2,secured to the top of said float, is guided in a top cross-bar,e2-,-supported in depressions between the flanges dof the casingsectionsA A2, by which means the float may be easily operated by the pressure ofthe water accumulating in the bottom of the basesection A of the casingA. Then the steampressure is excessive, the float F, if not otherwiseacted upon than bythe steam and water, would be forced down by the steamand hold the vaive E closed securely upon its seat and thus prevent thewater of condensation from escaping. To counteract this force, thevalvestem E is supported upon the short arm F' of a lever F, fulcruinedupon a bracket f. The lower end of the stem F/ has packed bearings inthe lower end of the discharge-pipe, and a smaller discharge-pipe Disfitted and projects from one side of the discharge-pipe D,

and thus the lower end of the valve-stem E'v projects from the pipe D,is packed by means of a stuffing-box f' in the usual way, and is IOOcontrolled by the long arm f2 of the lever F, which is fitted with aweight G and graduated to correspond with the steam-pressures underwhich the valve is loaded to operate. The fioat F, when thus relieved ofthe excessive steam-pressure, will be lifted byits buoyancy when thewater reaches a suiiicient height within the chamber A, and the valve Ebeing thus lifted the accumulated water of condensation will quicklyescape. A water-gage H, comprising an upper serew-plug, H', and astop-cock h', a lower screw-plug, H2, stop-cock h2, and escape-cock 7b3,supports a water-glass H3 in a well-known manner, both attached to theentire lower section A of the casing A. A water-petcock I in the bottoniof the section A of the casing, close to the neck A3 and valve* seat A4,will pro vide means for discharging the condensed water from the casingA, in whole or in part, to prevent it from freezing in the casing shouldthe steam be shut off, and also for letting off the water to allow it toremain at any required height indicated by the glass gage. The openingto the petcock I is shown 1n the drawings to be covered by a projectione from the valve E, and when the said valve is raised by lifting thefloat or operating the safety valve lever the water may be dischargedthrough the said petcock, should the drip-water pipe become frozen orotherwise obstructed. The petcock may on such occasions be left open andthe separator will auto- :matically discharge through the openingtherein whenever the check-valve is raised.

It will be readily perceived that the lower section of the casing,containing the movable parts and parts liable to become obstructed withgrease, sediment, or otherwise, maybe readily removed from the uppersection without breaking the steam connections, a rubber gasket betweensection A and A2 providing simple, inexpensive, and ready means i'ormaking the said connections.

I claim as my invention and desire to sccure by Letters Patent* l. Asteam-trap comprising the casin g made in two sections A', A2, thesteam-receiving pipe entering the cap-section A2 from a downwardlyturnednozzle, a discharging steampipe leading from the top of section A2 witha U -shaped nozzle, the discharge-section having a base-iiange and neckconnecting the same therewith having a valve-seat, a guidebar fittedtherein, a valve seated thereon, a valve-stem, float, for actuating thesaid valve and an upper guide-bar held between the section-casings,substantially as described.

2. A steam-trap comprising a casing, the steam receiving pipe, the steamdischarge pipe, the drip-water pipe, the check-valve therein and floatfor actuating said valve, and a petcock covered by the said valve andadapted to allow the water to be drawn from the casing, independently ofthe check-valve, when the float is raised, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed mynaine in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FELIX TARRANT HOWELL.

Witnesses:

J. J. SMITH, JOSEPH RUPPERT.

